Chapter 2

The smile on Elara’s face froze.

She adjusted her glasses, her tone still mild.

“Mr. Hayes, have I given you the wrong impression?”

“We can take our time getting to know each other. No need to rush to conclusions.”

Ms. Gable looked frantic, grabbing my arm.

“Oh, Leo, what are you thinking?!”

“A brilliant young woman like Ms. Albright? They don’t make them like her anymore! You’d be lucky to find someone half as good!”

“Don’t mess this up!”

I gently pulled my hand away, my gaze calm as I looked at Elara.

In my last life, that gentle, refined demeanor had fooled me for an entire lifetime.

I believed her humble background was just a temporary hurdle, and that her integrity was beyond reproach.

So I emptied my savings, passed on my scholarship to art school, and settled down with her in that quiet town. I cooked, cleaned, entertained her superiors, and navigated the politics, paving every single step of her path to success.

And what did I get? Once she achieved everything, she just kicked me away like a worn-out stepping stone.

I curved my lips into a slight, bitter smile. “Ms. Albright, it’s not a misunderstanding. You’re a wonderful woman. I simply don’t deserve you.”

With that, I stood up, grabbed my bag, and walked away.

“Leo!”

Elara grabbed my wrist.

I turned back, my gaze cold.

She seemed to realize her lapse in composure and loosened her grip.

“Mr. Hayes, I just feel it’s a shame.”

“I promised my mother I’d find a reliable and caring husband, just like you.”

“I...”

“Then you should keep looking,” I interrupted, shaking her hand off forcefully.

“Ms. Albright, please stop following me. It’s a bad look.”

I walked out of the noisy coffee shop without looking back.

The early summer breeze kissed my face, carrying a hint of warmth. I exhaled slowly, a long, deep sigh of pure relief.

It felt good. Everything could still be changed.

Just then, my supposed best friend, Caleb, called.

I swiped to answer, and his voice, thick with feigned concern, immediately came through.

“Hey, Leo, how did the blind date go?”

“Ms. Gable said Ms. Albright is a really wonderful woman. Did you meet her?”

I leaned against a sycamore tree on the sidewalk, watching the dappled shadows dance. A cynical chuckle escaped me.

“I did.”

“That’s great! How is she? Is she everything Ms. Gable said?”

“Yeah, she’s a diamond in the rough,” I said, my voice deliberately flat.

Caleb on the other end seemed to let out a breath of relief, his voice overflowing with thinly veiled excitement.

“I knew it! Leo, you have to seize this opportunity!”

“A man, you know, getting a good wife and settling down is more important than anything!”

“Don’t worry. If you and Ms. Albright get together, I’ll definitely treat her like family and get along with her well.”

He’d said the exact same thing in my last life.

Then, while I was overwhelmed caring for my mother-in-law, he, in the very shirt I’d bought him, went to ‘comfort’ Elara in my stead.

While I was scrambling, practically begging for her research grants, he, posing as her intellectual confidant, escorted her to academic conferences, hobnobbing with the elite.

Finally, he stood there, arm in arm with my wife, and had the audacity to tell me, “Leo, I’m sorry, but you can’t control who you fall in love with.”

I closed my eyes, forcing down the bitter, searing hatred that clawed at my gut.

“Caleb, if you think she’s such a catch, why don’t I just pass that ‘blessing’ on to you instead?”

On the other end, Caleb’s breathing hitched, a sharp gasp.